Help, lower Willy in relation to falls, Ore. City?

J
Jdangler xD
Hey everyone, I recently purchased a(n) "old town vapor 10 angler" 10ft yak. I'm interested in fishing the lower willamette and I understand COMING FROM ALBANY, oregon city and west linn are an hour drive and sauvie about 90 minutes. So my question is where are the falls located exactly and oregon city is just below right? If so I read that water can be dangerous (like any water), anyone have experience with kayaking that area and if so is there some safer water nearby? Also anyone want to fish that's cool!
thanks so much for the help, just trying to stay safe.
 
B
Big3d
I personally would say avoid the falls area in the yak, water is fast and pretty dangerous, plus boats rip right on through at stupid speeds. Sauvies is probably a better bet, ask Bass, he's the guy on this subject.
 
D
DirectDrive
Willamette Falls is not above or below Oregon City....It is AT Oregon City.
You will have not-so-fun current from the Falls down to below Meldrum Bar.
For kayaking I would put in at Cedar Oak (West Linn) or lower.
Check your PM's.
 
J
Jdangler xD
DirectDrive said:
Willamette Falls is not above or below Oregon City....It is AT Oregon City.
You will have not-so-fun current from the Falls down to below Meldrum Bar.
For kayaking I would put in at Cedar Oak (West Linn) or lower.
Check your PM's.
Thanks for the input fellas, yeah I'm trying to go have a good time not drowning :)
 
D
DrTheopolis
First, always wear a PDF when in a kayak.

Second, my DISCLAIMER: I'm far from an old pro on the Lower Willy, but been out there a few times (and as mentioned, Bass is the guy to ask here).

The Falls is in between West Linn and Oregon City. As far as boating close to it, it's a non-issue -- there's a not particularly well-marked boating deadline below it (didn't know that when we motored a driftboat all the way to the base in summer/low flow). There's a fishing deadline just below that. Once you get above the mouth of the Clackamas, the river gets deeper.

As to the crux of your question -- depends on water level/flow. which isn't a great answer, but the correct one. In higher flows, especially with no motor, DD is pretty much on -- plenty of current. In lower flows (and since there isn't much snow as yet, spring flows could be atypically low), I would hazard a guess you'd be OK below I-205 (which is maybe a mile(?) below the Falls). The Clackamas confluence is directly below I-205. You could launch a yak lots of places around there, even right OFF the bank at Clackamette, or Meldrum Bar. But have a flag on your yak -- there's lots of big boats around during springer season (some being captained by dumba**es). You might find the Milwaukie to Sellwood areas a little easier.

If the river is ripping, a non-motorized yak probably isn't the best bet (again, Bass on here is very experienced kayaking the Willy).

A little later into the season (April-May or so), if you feel confident going through some wimpy rapids, the lowest stretches of the Clack OFFer all kinds of springer opportunity (and again, some idiots in sleds). Below Riverside Park, there's not much in the way of significant rapids, except the one going into High Rocks, but should be pretty easy in a kayak.
 
jamisonace
jamisonace
I took Bass' advice and hit swan island. Very easy water, especially if you stay in the marina. Lots of fish too.
 
J
Jdangler xD
jamisonace said:
I took Bass' advice and hit swan island. Very easy water, especially if you stay in the marina. Lots of fish too.
I'll see where swan island is at, I don't have any desire to fish right at the falls just wonder how much further i should go to find safe water. Not looking for a white water trip. Also I have an anchor. so just paddle out. Drop anchor. Sling some anchovies or whatever and hopefully get some action.
 
Last edited:
D
DrTheopolis
I was thinking you were thinking springers. If you're looking to C&R sturgeon, I'm pretty sure you can go just about anywhere on the Lower.

And yup... wait for Bass to chime in, he'll give you the scoop like a pro.

Swan Island is at the south end of North Portland, right OFF I-5.
 
jamisonace
jamisonace
Go to where the dry docks are. You can fish just outside them. There was one that was empty that we fished in and got fish right away. You can move into the river from there too. We fished the opposite side of the river from the marina and did very well.

Jdangler xD said:
I'll see where swan island is at, I don't have any desire to fish right at the falls just wonder how much further i should go to find safe water. Not looking for a white water trip. Also I have an anchor. so just paddle out. Drop anchor. Sling some anchovies or whatever and hopefully get some action.
 
J
Jdangler xD
jamisonace said:
Go to where the dry docks are. You can fish just outside them. There was one that was empty that we fished in and got fish right away. You can move into the river from there too. We fished the opposite side of the river from the marina and did very well.
Thanks for all the input. I5 is close by . Ima do a drive one nice day and go visit some river access spots using google maps. Find a good spot to launch the yak. Hoping I don't have to use more than 8oz of lead. And hope my yak anchor is strong :D from the sounds of it swan island sounds easy. I am pretty sure next weekend ima be there.
 
J
Jdangler xD
jamisonace said:
I took Bass' advice and hit swan island. Very easy water, especially if you stay in the marina. Lots of fish too.
I heard a rumor that sturgeon won't show up on a depth finder/fish finder etc. is that true? Someone told me they don't have a gullet and therefore the sonar won't pick up the air pocket. I am familiar with the "send and recieve" signal that is sonar and I don't think sturgeon have a gullet. Buttttt all speculation aside does anyone mark sturgeon on their finders? ( I ask cuz I am yet to mount my soon to be lowrance, and just general knowledge)
 
F
flocaster
I want to go! You can paddle my bait out and drop in the good holes for me lol
 
J
Jdangler xD
flocaster said:
I want to go! You can paddle my bait out and drop in the good holes for me lol
Tandem kayak sturgeon fishing :D (Not serious)
 
F
flocaster
Plus you get someone to run the boat(s) while you play your fish with that setup!
 
bass
bass
Welcome to the sickness :)

Good advice on the thread.

Swan Island is the safest and best place to learn. When the river is high and ripping, like it is now, it is about the only place that you can kayak fish.

I went to Swan Island yesterday and met up with a fellow from another site. I had the most prolific day of sturgeon fishing in my life. I caught 43 sturgeon before I ran out of bait. I think he caught 20-some. He also had big fish on the day with one that had to be close to 7'. The best part is that we were fishing less than 1000' from the launch. You could have easily used your hands to paddle out to where we were fishing. Right now the sturgeon are about as far back in the harbor as can be. You will never get an easier and safer chance to catch a sturgeon from your kayak.

Sturgeon do show on FFs, but they do not show up as well as some other fish. They make a smaller mark per size of fish. Right now they are so thick that often it is hard to see them, just that the bottom looks thicker. I actually can see them much better on the Down Imaging screen when they are thick like this. The higher frequency signal has better target separation. However, even if you did not have depthfinder it would not have mattered yesterday. There were multiple fish in the air constantly for the entire day. I have never seen so many fish jumping. It was crazy. At one point a sturgeon smashed into the bottom of my kayak as I rejected its jump attempt. Just crazy.

Jumpers are not always biters, but yesterday they definitely were. They were biting so well that I never anchored. I just used the paddle to hold me in place and watched the rod tip closely with the reel in free spool and the clicker on. Hardest part was that as soon as the bait hit bottom (and often on the way down) sturgeon would be running into your line. Great opportunity to get a lot of practice in feeling the difference between a sturgeon rubbing against your line and a sturgeon actually taking your bait.

If you can make it out there while the water is high and warm you will not be sorry. One thing is to make sure that you dress for immersion. The water is 50 degrees, which is warm for this time of the year, but that is still cold enough to kill warm blooded creatures like us via hypothermia. I own a drysuit, but I usually wear waders and a drytop and always a PFD. Never take that off while you are out in the yak.

Best of luck. I hope to see you out there one of these days.
 
F
flocaster
Think there's any fish within bank casting distance without needing to have a 15ft rod? lol
 
J
Jdangler xD
bass said:
Welcome to the sickness :)

Good advice on the thread.

Swan Island is the safest and best place to learn. When the river is high and ripping, like it is now, it is about the only place that you can kayak fish.

I went to Swan Island yesterday and met up with a fellow from another site. I had the most prolific day of sturgeon fishing in my life. I caught 43 sturgeon before I ran out of bait. I think he caught 20-some. He also had big fish on the day with one that had to be close to 7'. The best part is that we were fishing less than 1000' from the launch. You could have easily used your hands to paddle out to where we were fishing. Right now the sturgeon are about as far back in the harbor as can be. You will never get an easier and safer chance to catch a sturgeon from your kayak.

Sturgeon do show on FFs, but they do not show up as well as some other fish. They make a smaller mark per size of fish. Right now they are so thick that often it is hard to see them, just that the bottom looks thicker. I actually can see them much better on the Down Imaging screen when they are thick like this. The higher frequency signal has better target separation. However, even if you did not have depthfinder it would not have mattered yesterday. There were multiple fish in the air constantly for the entire day. I have never seen so many fish jumping. It was crazy. At one point a sturgeon smashed into the bottom of my kayak as I rejected its jump attempt. Just crazy.

Jumpers are not always biters, but yesterday they definitely were. They were biting so well that I never anchored. I just used the paddle to hold me in place and watched the rod tip closely with the reel in free spool and the clicker on. Hardest part was that as soon as the bait hit bottom (and often on the way down) sturgeon would be running into your line. Great opportunity to get a lot of practice in feeling the difference between a sturgeon rubbing against your line and a sturgeon actually taking your bait.

If you can make it out there while the water is high and warm you will not be sorry. One thing is to make sure that you dress for immersion. The water is 50 degrees, which is warm for this time of the year, but that is still cold enough to kill warm blooded creatures like us via hypothermia. I own a drysuit, but I usually wear waders and a drytop and always a PFD. Never take that off while you are out in the yak.

Best of luck. I hope to see you out there one of these days.
crazy day on the sturgeon that's so awesome! And I have a PFD. Thanks for the info on the sturgeon and sonar subject. I will try to make it to swan island soon! Sounds like a blast.
 

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